EUFAULA, Ala. (WTVM) – Thousands of Alabamians and people around the region are applying for the chance to hunt down their very own alligator this summer.
Applications for alligator hunting tags went live on Tuesday and a select amount of hunters will win the opportunity to harvest some alligators.
Lake Eufaula is one of five alligator management areas you can hunt at in the state.
Alligators can be found statewide, but are especially popular down in southern Alabama.
It’s home to gators of all sizes, ranging from 1 foot to the world record holding 11-foot gator that was harvested on one of these hunts in 2014.
“Different states have different success rates and reputations, but there aren’t a lot of states where you can hunt alligator. However, Alabama is home to a lot of alligators,” said Talia Cavalline, a reporter who visited Lake Eufaula.
In 2025, 5,500 people applied for hunting tags ahead of the Alabama alligator season, but only 380 will receive a primary tag hunting permit.
“There’s really never a bad alligator hunt, even if you don’t harvest an alligator, it’s always wonderful to be out on Alabama’s public waterways and enjoy all the beauty that our state has to offer,” Cavalline said.
Outdoor Alabama manages five alligator management areas in the state, but those territories are growing every year.
“All of our AMA’s have a very high yield of alligators. Our biologists monitor alligator populations and decide where these boundaries are going to be, and where hunters are going to have the most success,” Cavalline said.
Last year the state expanded permit applications to out of state residents, and made it possible for hunting parties to purchase an additional tag to possibly take home an extra gator.
“You do want to make sure you have your current hunting license before you register. After your registration, if you are successfully selected for a harvest permit you will be able to purchase that permit, take the required online training so that both you and the alligator are handled properly,” Cavalline said.
Alabama was the first state to outlaw unlimited harvests in the 1930s, and with regulated hunts made possible in 2006, it has become a widespread conservation effort.
“The population of the American Alligator has bounced back over the past several decades. Now, the population will support a controlled regulated harvest,” Cavalline said.
Alligator hunting season varies by AMA but most of them start in the middle of August and stretch well into September.
Applications are live and will stay posted until the second Tuesday in July, and after that the lucky few hunters will be able to get ready for hunting season.
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